Ticket stacking machine



R. l. N. WEINGART TICKET STACKING MACHINE Sept. 29, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 12, 1950 a m. v H e i W% M e Sept. 29, 1953 R. I. N. WEINGART TICKET STACKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1950 am/4L OOOOO'.

Sept. 29, 1953 R. I. N. WEINGART 2,653,759

TICKET STACKING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 29, 1953 UNITED sures PAT Eur TICKET STACKING MACHINE RichardLN Weingart, York, N. Xi.

ApplicatfonApril 12, 1950, S.erial"No, 155, 483' This invention relates generally to ticket stacking. machines and in particular to 1 a machine incorporating new and useful improvements which will prevent the removal of ticket stubs placed therein by unauthorized persons.

Ticket stacking machines have been designed primarily for theater use wherein patrons purchasing tickets from acashier, usually located at the entrance thereto, present the said tickets to a ticket collector for admittance therein. The,

ticketcollector is normally located apart and away from said cashier. Thesaid ticket collector upon receiving a, ticket from a patron, tears the ticket in half, returning one half to the patron and depositing the-remaining half in the ticket stackingmachine. The tickets utilized therewith are pro-perforated with apertures centrally positioned in each half thereof. A rod is provided which extends through the stacking machine and upon which the retained half is positioned and allowed to slide down into a suitable storage receptacle. To prevent fraudulent practices such as reselling of surrendered tickets, theretained half is stacked in sequence in the said ticket stacking machine. It is a normal assumption that each patron upon the purchase'of a ticket will proceed directly to theticket collector, thereforethe-prenumbered tickets will be stackedina substantially consecutive order. Any subsequent auditing of the stacked tickets which discloses undue variation in the order or sequence of stacking will immediately call attention to the possibility of fraud.

conventionally, patrons donot request the return of half of the ticket when the said ticket is surrendered, therefore the ticket-taker may refrain from performing the required mutilation and subsequently return the ticket to the cashier for resale. Especially when several tickets are surrendered simultaneously, one or more may be retained without detection. Obviously, the serial number of the resold ticket, when subsequently deposited in the stacking machine, will not conform to the numerical order of adjacent stacked tickets.

To circumvent the protection heretofore offered by said stacking machines, the dishonest tickettaker will, prior to the auditing thereof, unscrupulously remove the stacked tickets through the depositing slot, rearrange the order and restack, to avoid detection.

Therefore, the instant invention has for an important object thereof, the provision of means which prevent the removal of stacked tickets by unauthorized persons.

Another object provides fora. novel ticket to be used in conjunction with saidstacking. machine.

A furtherobject provides: for means whereby a string of tickets may be stacked by the position ing ofa single ticket on the stackingrod'.

A still further object provides for an improved ticket-stacking mechanism.

Other ancillary objects will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in the light of the drawingsin which Fig. i is a perspective view of a stacking machine embodying the principles or theinvention with the outer casing broken away to illustrate the stacking mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the machine illustrating part of thestacking mechanism.

Fig. 3' is a sectioned side elevatlonal view of the stackingmachine.

Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof broken away to illustrate the spindle latching mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a plan view ofpluraltickets illustrating the aperture therein and the score lines thereon.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, the stacking machine illustrated therein is arranged to be mounted within a casing or housing including a base In, sidewalls l-l,a sidewallor-door II-pivotal on hinges l3 and an upper wall or cover H.

Centrally positioned within the housing is a vertical shaft l5 which is journaled in a suitable bushing I-B secured to-the base wall ID. A substantially square plate I1 is secured to the shaft l5 and is rotatable therewith, the dimensions of the plate being relatively less than those of the base l0. Secured to the plate H is a bracket 20 having a downwardly eiitending arm thereon. The plate [1- rotatable through 360 is stopped from further rotationby means of a fixed blocking member 2! secured to the door I2; and having a laterally extending arm thereon which lies in the circular path of bracket 28.

Formed'in the plate l'l are plural apertures 22 which are individually disposed in each of the corners thereof. Adapted to be secured in the apertures 22 are the lowermost ends of coil springs 23, the purpose of; which will be hereinafterapparent.

Secured to the upper terminal of the shaft I5 is a knurled knob 24 which is utilized to impart rotation to thesaid shaft. Adjacent the knob 24 is a substantially square plate. 25 also secured to the shaft II and rotatable. therewith. Recessed in each side 01' plate 25 are slots-26 and in each corner of the said plate detents, 21

are provided. Cooperable with detents 21 is a spring loaded pawl 30 which is pivotally secured to a supporting bracket 3| fast on a side wall The pawl 30 is spring urged into engagement with a detent 21 and permits rotation of the shaft in one direction while locking the plate against rotation in the other direction. As shown in Fig. 2, plate 25 may be rotated counter-clockwise with the pawl being displaced against the tension of a spring, not shown. Secured to the opposite side wall II is a second bracket 3| with the space between the inner end thereof and the end of bracket 3| being analogous to the width of a slot 26.

Arranged to be disposed between the plates 25 and I! are plural spindles 33, the lower ends of which are secured within the upwardly extending coil springs 23, Fig. 3. The portions of plate I! supporting the springs 23 are bent upwardly so that in the normal position, the latter are biased inwardly toward the center shaft IS. The biasing action thereof urges the spindles 33 therein into intimate engagement with the inner terminals of the slots 26 of the plate 25.

Formed in the cover l4, Figs. 1, 2, 3 and i, is a recess 35 defined by the inwardly leading side walls 36 and a rear wall 31, the latter being provided with a transverse aperture 38 through which a portion of the knob 24 extends. The base wall of the recess 35 consists of an exposed portion of plate 25 and a flange 4i] inwardly extending and formed on the door I2. The flange 40, with the door l2 in closed position, is arranged to overlie the edge of plate 25 with the space therebetween forming a throat 45. A slot 42, recessed in the inner edge of the flange 4-3, aligns with the related aforementioned slot 26 to permit the passage of a related spindle 33 therein.

Adapted to be positioned on the exposed portion of the spindle 33, are tickets 45, Fig. 5, which have preperforated therein apertures 46, the diameters of which are relatively larger than the diameter of the spindle 33. placement of a ticket on the spindle is readily accomplished. The impaled ticket then falls by gravity into contact with the exposed portion of plate 25 and is positioned parallel to the edge of plate 25 by means of the guide member 3'! which is secured to the wall 31. The guide member 31 is partially inclined to initially position the said ticket while the lower portion thereof is vertical and parallel to the spindle 33 for guiding the ticket or strip of tickets into a parallel relationship with the throat 4|. It will be noted that the length of the exposed portion of plate 25 is sufiicient to accommodate a strip of several tickets. The impaled tickets 45 now lie on the same plane as that of the throat 4|, therefore the outwardly manual displacement of the spindle 33 carries the said tickets through the throat 4| to a position under the flange 40 wherein they are engaged by a stripper bafiie 41 which may be resiliently secured to the fiange 40. Obviously, when a strip of tickets have been positioned on the spindle 33 utilizing the aperture in a ticket other than the central ticket of the strip, that particular ticket will move forwardly through the throat 4| prior to the remainder thereof, thus disturbing the parallel relationship. However, the impaled ticket upon striking the stripper baffie 41 will effect realignment of the trailing tickets thereby positioning all of the tickets in the strip under the flange Therefore, the

4|] and clear of the plate 25. The tickets 45 will normally slide downwardly by gravity. However, the stripper 41 further insures the free-falling thereof, Fig. 3. Subsequent release of the manual pressure on the spindle 33, repositions the impaled tickets under the plate 25. The novel tickets utilized herein, Fig. 5, are issued in strip form with the issuing machine, not shown, severing the desired number of tickets from a roll. The tickets 45 in addition to the aperture, have therein transverse score lines 48 which facilitate the tearing thereof.

When the first spindle 33 is filled, that is, the maximum number of tickets have been impaled thereon, the knob 24 may be rotated counterclockwise and a fresh spindle 33 presented for use. Provided in the side walls 36 of recess 35 in the cover M, are vertical slots 50, Fig. 1, which permit the passage therethrough of the exposed portions of the spindles 33. It will be noted that the brackets 3| and 3| guard against possible ticket fishing through the detents 21 where the plate 25 has been partially rotated. The brackets 3|, 3| are positioned under the arc of travel of the detents 2'! thereby preventing the insertion of a wire or fish hook therethrough to fraudulently remove the stacked tickets. With the plate 25 in normal position, Figs. 2 and 4, the inwardly extending portions 40 of the flange 40 effectively cover the related detents 27.

Upon reaching the fourth spindle 33 and the filling thereof, the machine must be emptied and reset. As shown in Fig. 2, the door I 2 is provided with a suitable lock 5|, the opening of which permits access to be had to the stacked tickets. Each of the spindles 33 has formed in the exposed portion thereof an aperture 52 through which a string or wire, not shown, may pass and the impaled tickets removed thereon, thus preserving the stacking sequence. The pawl 30 may be manually displaced and the shaft |5 rotated clockwise, removing the stacked tickets, until the first spindle 33 is positioned once again for the receiving of fresh tickets thereon.

The key lock 5|, Fig, 2, operable independently of the lock 5|, has a pivotal finger thereon which is employed to lock the pawl 35 against displacement thereby preventing the rotation of shaft I5, as would be desired during the period of time that the stacking machine is not in use. The lock 5| is positioned adjacent to and above the said pawl, and the finger thereon, when in downwardly extending position, abuts against the portion 30 of pawl 30 preventing the rotation thereof. A rotation of the lock 5| finger displaces said finger free of the pawl thus permitting normal operation thereof.

It is readily observed that once the tickets have been stacked on the spindles, they cannot be removed except by opening the door |2, and cannot be removed by unauthorized personnel.

While one form or embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein for illustrative purposes, and the construction and arrangement incidental to a specific application thereof have been disclosed and discussed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiment shown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described including a housing having fixed side walls, a base, a, cover and a door, a vertical shaft journalled therein, a knob thereon, a base plate secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, an upper plate secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, a plurality of spindles arranged to be supported on said base plate, said upper plate having narrow, inwardly extending slots arranged to receive said spindles therein; biased resilient means on said base plate for securing said spindles thereon; a downwardly extending recess formed in said cover including fixed side walls and a rear wall, the base wall thereof formed by a portion of said upper plate and a rearwardly extending flange adjacent the upper end of the door, said flange being disposed in spaced relation thereto to form a throat therebetween, said flange having a slot therein alignable with said upper plate slot, an exposed portion of one of said spindles providi gripping means for the manual displacement thereof in the combined slots to move tickets impaled thereon through said throat, and ticket stripping means to urge said tickets downwardly on the unexposed portion of said spindle.

2. In a ticket stacking machine of the character described, an enclosed housing having a rotatable spindle assembly therein, a plurality of ticket spindles thereon, means whereby a portion of each spindle may extend through said housing, said exposed spindle portion arranged to receive tickets thereon which are pre-perforated with an aperture therein having a greater diameter than the spindles, means for permitting the entry of said tickets into said housing, the latter means comprising a narrow throat formed by a plate on the spindle assembly and an overlapping flange disposed in spaced relation thereto 0n the front wall of the housing, guide means for positioning said tickets parallel to said throat prior to the entry therein, ticket stripping means for positioning said tickets parallel to said throat after the passage therethrough, and said tickets inaccessible for removal except by the displacement of said flange.

RICHARD I. N. WEINGART.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

